2020 Amazon Cruise and Machu Picchu Expedition

Add-Ons

Huayna Picchu Climb – April 29

Machu Picchu - Optional

$50 per person

For many trekkers, climbing Huayna Picchu is one of the highlights of a visit to Machu Picchu. The views of the Citadel and surrounding landscape are extraordinary from the top and well worth the climbing effort.

From a distance Huayna Picchu looks like a technical climbing endeavor, but is in fact just a steep hike with some sections that will require the use of both hands and feet to scramble upwards, but no technical skills or climbing tools. There are sections that include railings and cables for support.

Anyone with a decent level of fitness and moderate constitution for heights can climb Huayna Picchu (if you are afraid of heights or susceptible to vertigo then this climb is probably not for you). There are areas that are exposed to steep drops, so caution should be taken throughout the climb, keeping a good distance between climbers in front and behind you. This is particularly true if the trail is wet.

The total ascent is just over 1,000 feet (360m) with the summit at a steep angle above the city. As Huayna Picchu is so close to the city complex it provides a fantastic birds-eye view, and the climb itself provides brilliant vistas of the city from various angles. This perspective is very difficult to appreciate whilst walking within the Citadel.

From the summit, the scale and ingenuity of Machu Picchu and its various structures and terraces is fully revealed. The sheer magnitude and complexity of the site provides for a humbling view. There are also terraces and temple remnants that crown the mountain’s summit, and will leave you questioning how the Inca managed to build these structures.

You have an opportunity to participate in this unique once-in-a-lifetime experience on the morning of your second day at Machu Picchu. Only a certain number of permits are issued for this excursion and they fill quickly. Therefore, we cannot guarantee any space until it is officially reserved. If you are interested, we encourage you to sign up early.

DATE AND TIME OF EXCURSION: Your day begins with departure from the hotel at 5:30am and the actual climb will begin at 7:00am, on your second day at Machu Picchu. You will be back down from the mountain by approximately 11:30am.